2017 Frontier Conference Football Preview: Quarterbacks

The 2017 Frontier Conference football season is going to be an interesting one no doubt. And when it comes to the passing game, there will be a mix of star signal callers and new ones trying to prove themselves.

The new faces theme at quarterback holds especially true for the Montana State University-Northern Lights. No matter who is taking the snaps for the Lights this coming season, that man will be a first-year starter.

A year ago, then junior Jess Krahn started the first six games for the Lights, his second year as a starter. Krahn though, eventually gave way to senior Caleb McLaren, who finished the season for the Lights. McLaren has now moved on, though, leaving third-year head coach Aaron Christensen looking for a new starter. And heading into fall camp, which is just three weeks away, the Lights' QB job appears to still be wide open.

Junior Holden Maki is the only returning quarterback for Northern, and, in a four-way battle during Spring Ball, Maki had his solid moments. Dylan Cook, coming off his redshirt season was also in the mix in spring ball, while Christensen brought in a pair of transfers in former Washington State QB Bryce Missey and junior college transfer Tommy Wilson. And while spring ball went well, the job will be completely up for grabs when the Lights start preparations for their season-opener against Rocky Mountain College Sept. 2.

"I think that we have had a good battle," Maki said. "Knowing that the top spot is open has created a lot of competition. But we all get along really well, and we are all trying to help each other get better."

While Northern will have a new quarterback and a revamped look to the passing game this season, Montana Tech, a likely favorite to win the Frontier title this fall, will have no such issues. Tech returns perhaps the top signal caller in all of NAIA football in senior, and former Montana State standout Quinn McQueary (6-3, 195). McQueary was a First-Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention NAIA All-American a year ago, when he threw for 3,026 yards and 26 scores against just eight interceptions. McQueary is also a phenomenal athlete, as showcased by his 480 yards rushing and eight more touchdowns last year. And there's no doubt, in his third year in the Oredigger system, McQueary is top dog when it comes to quarterbacks in the Frontier, and perhaps, the country.

Southern Oregon is another team that shouldn't have a quarterback issue this season. Just two seasons ago, Tanner Trosin (6-0, 180) took the Raiders to the brink of a second straight NAIA national championship, gaining over 5,000 yards of total offense in the process. Trosin was injured at the start of the 2016 campaign, and the Raiders' high-powered offense took a hit. But, the red-shirt senior is back under center for new head coach Charlie Hall, who is taking over for the late Craig Howard, and if Trosin is anything like he was in 2015, the Raider offense will be right back to having one of the most lethal passing attacks in the NAIA.

Carroll College and longtime head coach Mike Van Diest should also have one of the elite quarterbacks in the Frontier this fall, in young Tanner Gustavsen (6-1, 195). Gustavsen took over starting duties for the injured J.T. Linder halfway through last season, and he emerged as a true dual-threat QB, throwing for 667 yards and seven touchdowns, while rushing for 205 yards. Gustavsen now has a year under his belt, and with one of the best wide receiver groups in the league to throw to, Gustavsen could be the breakout star of the Frontier this fall.

While McQueary, Trosin and Gustavsen are the top returning quarterbacks in the Frontier, that doesn't mean the well is dry. Western has a strong returner in junior J.D. Ferris (6-1, 185). Ferris threw for 2,283 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall, and is another quarterback who can hurt defenses with his legs.

From there, however, others around the league are on the search for their next great one, especially Eastern Oregon. Head coach Tim Camp must find his replacement for the graduated Zach Bartlow, who was an NAIA All-American a year ago, as well as a two-time First-Team All-Conference performer. The Mounties, who went all the way to the NAIA semifinals last December, have six quarterbacks on their roster, and it will be interesting to see which one emerges.

Rocky Mountain College is also looking to replace a star standout in Chase White, while College of Idaho has a returning starter in Tyler Cox (6-0, 175), but freshman Connor Richardson (6-0, 185), who is a dangerous runner in the Yotes' option attack, had a monster spring and will certainly push Cox for the starting nod in fall camp.

So, with stars like McQueary and Trosin, the Frontier still possesses some of the best quarterbacks in the NAIA, as it always does. But the passing game in the Frontier this season should be interesting with so many new quarterbacks stepping into starting roles.

Editor's Note: This is the first our annual position-by-position breakdown of the upcoming Frontier Conference football season. For a look at the defensive lineman, see Wednesday's Havre Daily News.